Sign.



J- W. LARSON.

SIGN. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 1912.

1,069,150. Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

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J. W. LARSON.

SIGN.

' APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 11, 1912. 7 1 069 1 50 Patented Aug. 5, 1913 J2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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PATENT- OFFICE.

JOHN W. LARSON, OF GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA.

SIG-N.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

Application filed June 11,1912. Serial No. 703,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LARSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Island, in the county of Hall and State of Nebraska,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to illuminated signs which are rotatable, anelectric motor being employed for effecting the rotation of the sign,and the illuminant being a-series of electric lamps.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a sign of the kindstated embodying certain novel and improved structural details to behereinafter described and claimed, and also to provide an improvedcontroller for distributing the electric current to the lamps.

In order that the invention may be better understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of thesign, partly in section. Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly broken away.Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the motor anddrive gear. Fig. 5 is an elevation, and Fig.

6 a plan view of the current controller. Fig.

7 is a sectional detail, and Fig. 8 an elevation showing the method ofsecuring the sign panels at the sides. Fig. 9 is a plan view of one ofthe controller segments. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail and elevationshowing the method of securing the sign panels at the bottom. Fig. 11 isan elevation of a fragment of the sign. Fig. 12 is a detail view showingone of the brushes of the controller.

The general construction of the apparatus is hexagonal in shape. Avertical casing is shown comprising a bottom I on Whichare mountedvertical partition walls A which radiate from a central cylinder B.which is also mounted on the bottom I. The casing is provided with apeaked roof or cover E. The bottcm I is mounted on a cylindrical case'Hresting on a base J. To the bottom I is made fast a vertical shaft Swhich is supported at its lower end in a step-bearing s on the base J,on which latter is also mounted an electric motor K which is connectedto the shaft S by a suitable train of reducing gears 7:: as shown inFigs. 3 and 4,

portion connectingthe two whereby the casing which carries the signpanels is rotated very slowly. The case H incloses the motor and drivegears.

On the cylinder B are mounted incandescent lamps C which are controlledby the device shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Referring specifically to theseviews, L denotes a disk of insulation which is carried by the under sideof the casing bottom I. The disk has a central opening Z through whichthe shaft S loosely passes, said disk being located concentrically withrespect to the shaft. On the bottom of the disk is a collector'ring mwhich is connected by wires U to the lamps in the respective sections ofthe casing formed by the partitions A. Arranged concentric-ally withrespect to the collector ring, on the outside thereof, are six collectorsegments M which are also connected to the lamps by wires V in the samemanner as the ring m. On the base J are stands W carrying a plate ofinsulating material ito which are secured brushes w, w and y, the firsttwo being arranged to contact with the segments M and the other one withthe ring m. The brushes may be made of a piece of clock spring which isfastened at its ends to the plate a, from which latter it extends in theshape of a bow as shown in Fig. 12, the

bowed portion making the contact. A'

single conductor 2 connects the brushes w and m with one side of thecurrent source, and a conductor 3 connects the brush y with the otherside of said source.

As will be seen in Fig. 6, the segments M have two portions which aredifferent distances from the center or axis of rotation of the disk L,the two parts being joined by a lateral portion so that their continuityis not interrupted. The arrangement of the segments on the disk L issuch that each one laps substantially one-half of two adjacent ones, theportion nearest the center lapping the portion of the adjacent segmentwhich is farthest from the center. The short lateral parts of the segment is between the ends of the two adjacent segments, said ends beingspaced therefrom. By this arrangement the segments form two. concentricrings having gaps at regular intervals, and each segment extends throughan arc of substantially 120. As the brushes w and w are in contact withboth of the rings formedby the segments, it will be evident that thecircuit of the lamps of the respective compartments is closed duringone-third of each revolution of the casing carrying the lamps andsigns.The circuit is first closed by the engagement of the brush m with theinner portion of the segment, and before the brush 00 passes off thesame, the brush w comes in contact with the outer portion of saidsegment. The brush a: now passes over to the inner portion of the nextsegment and closes the circuit of the next set of lamps. The circuit isnot broken as the brush w passes to the outer portion of the firstsegment, this taking place before the brush w leaves the inner portionthereof, in view of which the current is not broken and lamps-thereforeburn steady. The circuit is from the conductor 2 through the brushes wand m to the segments M and by the wires 1; to the lamps, and thence bythe wires U to the ring at an through the brush y and conductor 3 backto the current source.

The signs, proper, lows: An outside pane in the casing. Next to the paneis a sheet of opaque paper or sheet metal which is perforated to formthe letters of the sign, as indicated at a". Back of this is placed asheet cl of any colored paper or glass that is trans parent, and lastanother pane R of glass is placed in the frame. This last pane of glassis omitted if glass is used in place of paper. The light from the lampsC will shine through the transparent paper or glass and make the lettersformed by the perforations 1" in the opaque sheet plainly visible atnight, and this combination also produces a very showy effect in thedaytime.

he outer edges of the walls A are rabbeted as indicated at a in Fig. 7in which rabbets the vertical edges of the sign panels seat and are heldby strips 0 fastened to the edges of the walls A by screws P andoverlapping the panels a sufiicient distance to hold the same in place.The bottom I also has..rabbets forming seats for the bottom areconstructed as fol- Q of glass is placed edge of the sign panels andcarries retainingstrips T as shown in Fig. 10.

oeawo Behind the lamps C are reflectorsl) to throw the light onto thesign panels.

I claim:

1. In an illuminated sign, a'rotatable casing having compartmentasignpanels on each compartment, electric lamps mounted in the compartments,means for rotating the casing, and a currentcontroller comprising a diskof insulation mounted on the bottom of the casing, a collector ringcarried by the disk and connected to the lamps of the respectivecompartments, collector segments on the disk connected to the lamps,said, seg ments extending concentrically with respect to the collectorring and having portions which are different distances from the centerof the disk, the innermost one of said portions lapping the outerportion of one adjacent segment and the outer portion lapping theinnermost portion of another adjacent segment, and brushes in contactwith the segments and the collector ring.

2. In an illuminated sign, a rotatable casing having compartments, signpanels on each compartment, electric lamps mounted in the compartments,means for rotating the casing, a disk of insulation mounted on thebottom of the casing, a collector ring carried by the disk and connectedto the lamps of the respective compartments, collector segments on thedisk connected to the lamps, said segments extending concentrically withrespect to the collector ring and having portions which are differentdistances from the center and a current controller comprising of thedisk, the innermost one of said por-

